Let Me Tell You About Homeschooling

We started our daughter in kindergarten. Our daughter is shy and introverted. After having spent kindergarten and 1st grade in the traditional setting we had heard from her first grade teacher at the end of the first grade school year that she would need to be held back. We had never heard any difficulty from her teacher although we had heard from our daughter that she felt her teacher did not like her very much. We have always told our children that their teachers were looking out for their best interest.

After having our daughter tested the school system told us she did not test out with any disability but that they would support the teacher's decision to hold our daughter back. We thought this was absurd however we did not challenge the school system as we were not professional educators. After our daughter started the first grade for a second time at a new school (we had moved at that time to a new school), we found out her old teacher had changed teaching grades as she could not "deal" with children that young. We felt that we had been betrayed by the school system. Our daughter of course breezed through the year as the student who knew the most and her new teacher stated she felt as if there was nothing left to teach her at that grade level.

Once that year was complete we pulled our daughter out of the public school system. We got with our school board to find out what requirements there were for home schooling to ensure we would follow the proper curriculum. We went to a local educational store, bought a few books and started home schooling them.
What an amazing difference our children's lives have experienced. What an amazing difference in our relationship with our children. I will tell you if you have the time to make your children a priority by rearranging your schedules, making education a focus in your life, and spending the time and energy with your children you will see a major dividend on your efforts.

Let me tell you about home schooling. Every day is a new adventure. Aren't you the one who should know your child the best? Aren't your morals and values important to the growth of your children? Isn't your perspective on the world an important lesson for your children to develop a sense of your family legacy?

Home schooling allows you to control what your child learns, what perspective/angle/argument they are being taught, promotes your brand of spirituality/religious beliefs, provides a format for you to truly learn about your child and develop a close relationship with them.

After our first year home schooling we brought our children's portfolio to their test outs at the state level. The state board of education was impressed and had never seen such a well-organized, thought-out process. This happened because "WE" know our child. We are not just shoving a pre-set curriculum down their throats. We think about well-rounded education. We have the flexibility to develop curriculum that guides our children based on our beliefs, opinions, morals/values.

It is not as difficult as anyone thinks it is. It is time consuming but for us has been the best investment we have ever made.

Home schooling has given our daughter the confidence she needed to know that she is smart and capable. This was not a priority of her 23 year old teacher who couldn't "Deal" with the younger kids. Our children are learning languages, music, art, geography, science, math, English, entrepreneurship, relationships, all about jobs and money, unbelievable journeys in nature, tons of special projects and family field trips, athletics, and even spending time with other children.

The only decision that you have to make is not whether or not home schooling works but whether or not your children are worth the investment.